Seesaw Girl

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Park, Linda. Seesaw Girl. Ill. by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1999.

PLOT SUMMARY
Jade Blossom’s curious life inside the wall surrounding her family’s house unfolds as the twelve year old girl loses her best friend, Willow, to marriage. The setting is in Seoul, Korea, during the seventeenth century, when females of her family’s status were not allowed outside the walls until their wedding day. Even this trip is only to the same lifestyle, but to her husband’s family compound. The picture of Jade's life includes a brief escape to life outside and a sudden awakening to wishes and desires that do not fit into the family culture.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The authenticity of Seesaw Girl is supported in part by the author’s notes and bibliography at the end of the book. Park also weaves in pieces of historical fact as appropriate throughout the course of the story. For example, when the Jade’s father responds to her request to give the servant who brought her home from her escapade his job back, the father gives a peek at the cultural relevant history. “Right behavior is indeed important, Daughter. It is one of the Five Virtues. Your brother has been learning much about them. Right behavior, good form, wisdom, faith, and love.” (61.)
Although the plot seems simplistic, it follows the life of a twelve year old girl who is sentenced inside the walls of an aristocratic family’s home during a time when women and girls were not allowed to speak directly to men or receive an education. She amuses herself with innocent pranks, sewing, cooking and washing. The plot is not given a rosy view, noting the loss of her best friend as well as the desire to be able to do something more with her mind.
Jade does ask her mother if the feeling that she has provided for her family enough for her happiness. And the mother replies, “Yes, Jade, I have learned to make it enough.”

Themes are recurring and relate to male dominance, female submissiveness and inferiority, and a life of simple activities, such as, washing clothes. The routine associated with this chore includes taking out the stitching every washing and cleaning only to stitch the clean cloth back into the original clothing.

Readers should be able to identify with the main character that is always asking questions, wondering about things she has not seen, and finding a way to get what she wants. The style includes a small amount of dialogue between Jade and her parents, while Tiger, her brother, talks with her more freely. This can be evidenced when the schoolmaster is out sick and Jade slips into the Hall of Education beside Tiger, and learns to paint.

REVIEWS
Publishers Weekly (August 9, 1999)
“With all the temerity of a 1990s girl, Jade plays tricks on her brother (with the help of her cousin Willow), and her yearning to see the world outside of her family's walled household ultimately leads her into trouble.”

School Library Journal (September 1999)
“Park maintains a fine tension between the spirited girl's curiosity and her very limited sphere. Certainly Jade looks for opportunities to expand her horizons, but after her first disastrous foray to see Willow, she learns that those chances have to come within the walls of her own home.”
“Her mother recognizes Jade's longings and shows her that it is possible to be content with her life. Like Jade's stand-up seesaw, Park's novel offers readers a brief but enticing glimpse at another time and place.”


CONNECTIONS
The obvious connection would be to world history and 17th century life in Korea. Yet other curriculum areas could be linked with this book, such as:
Art – painting with brushes on rice paper
Games/Physical Education – building a seesaw
Women’s rights in the international arena
Research the development of washing clothes
This story could be easily adapted into a Reader’s Theater, as well.